


You Are My Sunshine

by clardycat7



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Adorable, Coffee, Coffee Shops, College, Cussing, Cute, Falling In Love, First Date, First Love, Fluff, Gay, High School AU, Homophobia, Homophobic Language, Homophobic Slurs, M/M, Minor Character Death (Mentioned), Romance, Slight Age Difference, Students, best friend percy, impending doom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-06-23 03:08:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15596889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clardycat7/pseuds/clardycat7
Summary: Nico's had a crush on Will for over a year. However, things really get going when Will asks Nico's best friend Percy for his number. Together, Nico and Will figure out high school bullies, parents, and how to fight for a love that people think is wrong but they know is right.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Characters are owned by Rick Riordan and belong to the Percy Jackson Universe. All rights go to him. I'm not making any money or anything from this, and am just using the characters from books I love to my own plotline. 
> 
> I'll be adding tags as I write.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this! It's just a cute little thing I'll be working on for a while. There'll be some drama, but it's mostly just cute.

High school seriously sucks. If it wasn’t for Netflix, YouTube, and the occasional good book, Nico had no idea how he would survive. He would so much rather be sulking in his bedroom, covered in band posters and painted black, than in the grey halls of Olympic High School. He sighed as he reached the water fountain, pulling out his water bottle and moving to fill it up, as he always did at the beginning of lunch. It was always the same thing, every day. Get to school by 8, go to three classes, eat lunch, three more classes, go home and do three hours of homework, sit in silence during family dinner trying to hold back the eyerolls as his stepmother told him he was too skinny and his father never shut off his work phone. What an exciting life. 

“Nico!” Well, there was one light in his life. Percy. Nico and Percy had been best friends since they were in middle school, Nico being in sixth grade and Percy in eighth. Now Percy was a senior, which means in a few short months, the swimming champion, hottest boy in school troublemaker would be leaving him. Nico screwed the cap on his bottle and looked up. 

“Yes?” He asked, raising a single eyebrow. Percy often got over excited, sort of like a puppy. It was a wonder he didn’t urinate all over the floor. 

“I know a boy that likes you!” Nico wasn’t expecting that. He choked on the sip of water he had taken, eyes widening and face turning red. He quickly slapped a hand over Percy’s mouth. 

“Would you shut up? What if someone heard you?” Percy rolled his eyes and took Nico’s hand of his face. 

“No one cares, Nico. Half this school is gay, or at least bi-curious.” Nico glared at Percy and looked around at the people nearby. No one seemed to have heard. 

“That’s not the point, and you know it! Half this school also has a parent who works for my father, and what if they told their parents, who told other employees, who told Father, hm? I can’t have that happening! I don’t come from a hippy-liberal family like you, you know.” Percy looked a little guilty after that. He put his hands up in surrender. 

“Okay, okay, I get it. I know your dad can’t know. Can I tell you about the boy now?” Nico huffed and looked around again. He grabbed Percy’s wrist.

“In here.” Nico pulled Percy into the boys’ bathroom. He locked the bolt, than checked that all the stalls were empty. “Okay, coast is clear. Now who on Earth are you talking about?” Percy smiled and his green eyes lit up. Moments like this are when Nico remembers how big of a crush he had on Percy in middle school. Thankfully, he’d grown out of that and had become best friends with the boy since Percy started going out with his girlfriend Annabeth. Percy really wasn’t Nico’s type. 

“His name is Will Solace. You know, cute blond boy in English class? He told me he likes you, so I gave him your number.” Nico’s eyes bulged out of his head.

“You what?!” Nico had a thousand thoughts running through his head. Why would Percy betray him like that? Why did Will Solace like him? A senior dating a sophomore isn’t exactly the ideal situation for said senior. Especially for someone as hot and popular as Will. What god had decided to ruin Nico’s life today? Apparently Aphrodite. Nico was starting to believe maybe the Greek gods exist solely because she would love to play a trick like this. 

“I gave him your number! What, was I supposed to say ‘Oh, sorry Will, you see, my friend Nico is too shy to talk to you because he’s been in love with you since freshman year so it’s not really worth the effort’”. Nico pouted and slumped his shoulder against the wall. 

“You’re an idiot. This is ridiculous, and I hate you.” Percy laughed lightly as Nico glared at him with crossed arms. Nico was a good six inches shorter than Percy, so it was pretty funny to Percy when he tried to act all tough. 

“You don’t hate me. You love me!” Right then, Nico’s phone buzzed. Percy smirked at him. “Speak of the devil.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re the devil, actually,” Nico muttered as he pulled out his phone. Sure enough, the text was from an unknown number. 

{unknown} Hi Nico! This is Will, Will Solace. Percy gave me your number? Percy Jackson? You’re friend? Best friend, I guess. Anyway, I asked Percy for your number, so here I am, texting it. Hi. 

Nico couldn’t help but crack a smile. Even over text, where one could edit the message, Nico could see the hesitation and nervousness Will must have felt. He quickly went back to a grimace when he caught Percy grinning back. 

{Nico} Hi Will. Percy told me he gave you my number. What’s up?

“‘What’s up?’ Seriously?” Nico flinched away when he noticed Percy had been peering over his shoulder. 

“Hey! Don’t eavesdrop!” Percy chuckled. 

“I’m technically not eavesdropping, just reading over your shoulder.” Nico huffed in annoyance and rolled his eyes. He turned away from Percy with his back to the wall as another text came in. Nico added Will to his contacts. 

{Will} Nothing. I’m good. School. Trig. Yeah. Anyway I don’t know if Percy told you but I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out some time?

{Will} It’s totally alright if you don’t

{Will} I get it really 

{Will} No pressure 

{Will} Just a suggestion 

{Will} I’ll stop texting now 

Nico couldn’t help but laugh this time. Percy eyed him wearily. “What’d he say?” Nico looked up at Percy. 

“None of your business, fish face.” Percy scowled and crossed his arms. 

“I hate it when you call me that.” 

{Nico} I’d love to 

Nico didn’t have to wait long for a reply. 

{Will} Awesome. Tonight at 6? Have you ever been to Victor’s? Their pizza sticks are to die for 

“Victor’s is where you camp kids hang out?” Nico asked nonchalantly. Percy quirked an eyebrow. 

“Yes, why? Did he ask you to go there? That’s so cute!” Nico rolled his eyes at Percy’s girlish voice. 

“Maybe. Come on, lunch is almost over.” Nico grabbed Percy’s hand and started to pull him out of the bathroom. 

“I’m coming over to help you find an outfit! And I’m bringing Annabeth!” Percy shouted. Nico just smiled. 

***

Okay, so Nico did have a little crush on Will Solace. When Nico was a freshman and WIll was a junior they had English together, and Nico just about fell in love on the spot. Will had a beautiful golden complexion, perfectly tousled blond hair, and bright blue eyes that sparkled when you looked into them. He was the exact opposite of Nico. Will was all sunshine and smiles, whereas Nico was all darkness and death. But Nico loved it. 

This year, they had English class together again. Thank the gods for Nico being an advanced student. Nico loved how much Will got into it every time they studied poetry, and how he narrowed his eyes and ran his fingers through his hair when he got stuck. It was gorgeous. 

Nico was snapped out of his daydream by Annabeth clapping in his face. “Hello, Earth to Nico? You have a date in ten minutes!” Nico blinked his eyes so they came into focus on Annabeth’s stearn face. 

Annabeth was Percy’s girlfriend. She had big blonde hair, startling grey eyes, and a boss attitude nearly everyone was afraid of. She could get anything done she set her mind to. Including making Nico look decent for his date. 

“Okay, okay, I know. Just tell me what I’m wearing.” Nico looked over to Percy, who was lounging on Nico’s bed like he owned the place. Annabeth through some clothing items into his arms. 

“Here. Change.” She sat down on the bed and Percy started running his fingers over her back. Nico hoped he could be so close and comfortable around someone like that someday. The couple weren’t into much PDA, but Percy liked to give her soothing touches to calm her down when she was stressed or angry. It was adorable. 

“Okay.” Nico shuffled off into the bathroom. He changed into the black skinny jeans with no holes and a button down navy shirt that once belonged to Percy. It was a bit big, but not bad. It was from middle school, but still looked okay on Nico’s small frame. 

Nico walked back into the room. Annabeth and Percy looked up and the latter gasped dramatically. “Wow Nico, you look sexy.” Annabeth elbowed Percy in the ribs. “Ow.” He rubbed his chest and grimaced. 

Nico laughed. “Thanks, fish face. I think I like it.” Nico smiled at Annabeth. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” Just then, the doorbell rang. Percy and Annabeth both sprang up, and Nico’s eyes widened in horror. 

“Don’t you dare!” It was too late. The couple had run down the stairs and Nico groaned. He raced out after them, but they had already opened the door. 

“Hiya Will, good to see you. Come in, come in.” Nico watched as Percy pulled the poor boy into the living room and shut the door. Nico couldn’t help but stare at him for a moment. Will looked amazing. He was wearing blue, medium-wash jeans and a grey pullover. His hair looked like it had been brushed, but was still all over the place. Will was blushing slightly, and had his hands in his front pockets. 

“So, Will, what are your intentions with our boy Nico, hm?” Percy asked with a stern expression. Annabeth stood next to him with her arms crossed. Nico came out of his daze and rushed over. 

“Guys! Shut up! Oh my god, I’m so sorry.” Nico pushed Percy and Annabeth away. “You guys are not my parents, and I’m not a baby. Chill.” Nico then turned to Will and smiled. “Hi.”

Will was blushing heavily, one hand rubbing the back of his neck as he looked at Nico with nervousness obvious on his face. “Hi.” Nico then turned around and glared at his friends. 

“I’ll be home later. It would be appreciated if you guys weren’t here when I came home, thanks. Bye.” Nico grabbed Will by the wrist and pulled him outside, slamming the door shut behind him. “I’m so sorry about that, they’re ridiculous, but it’s just cause they’re protective.” Nico stopped walking as they reached Will’s car. Will turned around to look at him and smiled shyly. 

“It’s alright. I think it’s sweet. And I promise, I have good intentions.” Nico laughed and Will grinned. “Let’s go, then?” Nico nodded as Will opened the door for him. 

“Yeah, let’s go.” Nico climbed into the passenger seat. He really couldn’t believe this was happening. Nico di Angelo was going on a date with Will Solace. Truly groundbreaking.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay chapter 2! This chapter is just pure adorableness. Gay dates are the best dates.

Nico was having just about the most amazing night ever. Not that he would ever admit it. Especially not to Percy. When they arrived at the restaurant, Will opened Nico’s door for him, smiling down at him. Like Percy, Will was five or six inches taller than Nico, which the boy kind of liked. His type was tall, laid-back, and adorable. Will seemed to fit the bill. 

“I didn’t get to say earlier, but you look amazing,” Will said, eyes glancing over Nico’s frame as the latter climbed out of the car. Nico straightened out his shirt and winked. 

“I try.” Will laughed and shut the door, hands awkwardly going into his front pockets as he followed behind Nico, who was headed towards the door of Victor’s Pizzeria. Nico made sure he got there quick enough to open the door for himself. While he appreciated Will’s gentlemanly attitude, Nico wanted to make sure the boy knew Nico was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, too. When Will caught up, he was pouting. 

“I was going to do that,” he complained as Nico held the door open for them. Nico smiled and grabbed Will’s hand, entwining their fingers and making the blond blush deeply. 

“If you’re going to date me, you need to be aware that we are equals, which means if you open a door for me, I open a door for you.” Will nodded, and Nico noticed his eyes glanced down to their hands before coming back up to Nico’s eyes. 

“Fair enough.” Will and Nico walked side by side into the restaurant, reaching a booth in the corner and sitting on opposite sides as they were handed menus. 

Nico didn’t even look at his before he cast it aside. “You can order for me. You know what’s good.” Will gave a small nod and closed his menu as well, calling over the waitress and ordering two baskets of pepperoni pizza sticks. Nico crossed his legs under the table and rested his chin on his clasped hands. “So, do you ask for people’s numbers from their best friends often?” Will almost spit out his drink and Nico laughed. 

Will took a minute to compose himself before answering. “Uh, no, no, I don’t. I just, uh, was nervous to ask you? And I’ve known Percy for years, and uh, yeah,” Will said as he rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and looked at Nico anxiously. Nico smirked at him, which made Will blush even more. 

“I was just kidding, Will. I don’t mind.” Will seemed to relax a bit, but still seemed embarrassed. “Let’s get to know each other better. How about we play 20 questions? We take turn asking any questions we want, and the other person has to answer honestly.” Will took a sip of his water and shrugged. 

“Okay. Um, when’s your birthday?” Nico couldn’t help but laugh loudly, sitting back in the booth to look at Will in amusement. The blond had started blushing again and crossed his arms. “You said I could ask anything I want! Is that too stupid of a question?” Nico tried to settle himself down, though he was still chuckling. 

“It’s just cute. It’s such an innocent question. My birthday is January 28th. Why did you ask me out?” Nico sipped his diet coke as Will struggled to answer the question. 

“Um, well, uh, I’ve thought you were cute for a, um, while now, and Percy said something that made me think you might, kinda, like me back. So I went for it. You’re smart and hot and I’m, uh, really attracted to you?” Nico slammed his drink on the table, making Will jump. 

“Sorry, but what exactly did Percy say to you?” Nico asked with his eyebrows raised. Will visibly gulped. 

“He said I was your type. Something about being older and smart and having messy hair?” Will touched his curly blond hair. “I didn’t mean to make you upset.” Nico reached over and grabbed Will’s hand, much to the boy’s surprise, and squeezed softly. 

“You didn’t make me upset. Fish Face Jackson made me upset. I’m not really mad though, because you wouldn’t have asked me on a date if he hadn’t have been the most annoying asshole on planet Earth. He was right, anyway, you definitely are my type.” Will became a deeper shade of red and Nico didn’t let go of his hand. 

“What is your type?” Will asked quietly. Nico smirked. 

“That’s a much better question. I’d say my type is partly what Percy said about boys a bit older than me who are intelligent with unruly hair,” Nico reached up and pulled lightly on the end of a piece of Will’s hair, “but they also have beautiful eyes, handsome faces, and can take care of me when I need it, but also admit they need to be taken care of sometimes.” Nico’s hand slid down to Will’s cheek, and the two boys stared deeply into each other’s eyes. “Can you do that for me, Solace?” Before Will could answer, the waitress appeared with their food, and they broke apart. 

The food was delicious, but Nico was having a much better time watching Will than eating. That boy was so cute. He had the most gorgeous laugh that came out as Nico talked about some of the trouble he and Percy have gotten into over the years, and he had such a look of concern and care in his eyes when Nico talked about his mother’s death and his father’s work that Nico almost melted right there on the spot. 

“Do you miss her?” Will asked quietly. They had finished eating, and were waiting for the bill to come. Nico gave a small smile and stared at his empty basket. 

“All the time. Mama was the only adult in my life who loved me unconditionally. I miss her more than anything. With her gone, and with my sister Bianca in college, I’ve been alone for a while now.” Much to Nico’s surprise, Will grabbed his hand and squeezed it this time, and his voice seemed more sure than it had been all night. 

“You aren’t alone, Nico. You have Percy, and Annabeth. And me, if you want.” Nico smiled when Will’s nervous look came back. He squeezed Will’s hand. 

“Thank you.” 

***

Nico was really sad the night was almost over. They had pulled up to Nico’s house, Will stopping the car and getting out quickly so he could open Nico’s door for him. Nico rolled his eyes in amusement. They walked in silence up to the door, where they stopped and turned to each other. 

“I had a really good time, Solace. Thank you.” Will smiled and blushed as Nico grabbed both of his hands. He was about to reply, but froze as Nico got on his tiptoes and pressed a small kiss to Will’s cheek. “Text me, okay? I think a second date is in order.” Will nodded dumbly as Nico winked and walked inside, closing the door behind him. He smiled to himself and leaned against the door. Yeah, Nico could see a second date happening. And maybe a third. Possibly, even a fourth. Who knows?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just love Will being all cute and flustered and Nico being more outgoing and suggestive. Expect a lot more of that! I love the dynamic. Anyway, please leave nice comments and kudos! It means a lot and helps me get motivated to keep writing!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Damn I'm really on a roll with this. I hope I don't jinx it. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! I threw in some Percabeth, though I never write straight stuff and it's so hard to write dialogue for a straight boy, so don't expect much of it. It's cute though.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not know Italian. I do know some French decently well, but that's definitely not the same thing, so translations might be a bit foggy. Sorry about that if you are Italian or know the language. This is purely what I see on the internet translation sights

Nico really wished he was alone right now. He’d give anything to be able to just curl up on the couch with a good book. Instead, he had to be interrogated by his annoying friends. 

“You have to tell us everything, Nico!” Percy exclaimed, jumping onto the bed wear Nico was currently laying with his eyes closed and his arm over his face to try to tune them out. Nico sighed, but stayed silent. 

“We need to decide if he’s good enough for you,” Annabeth said, acting like this exchange was a business meeting she needed to get done. Nico groaned and sat up, leaning his back against the headboard. 

“Fine, what do you want to know?” Percy leaned next to him and Annabeth sat with her legs crossed on the end of the bed, facing the two boys. 

“Everything, dude! What happened after you left us?” Nico sighed and brought his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. 

“He just went out. He opened the car door for me, so when we got there, I made sure to make a point of being able to open doors for myself.” Annabeth nodded. 

“Good. Let him know you’re independent.” Percy pouted and crossed his arms. 

“I thought you liked it when I opened doors for you!” He exclaimed in offence. Annabeth gave a small laugh and patted his leg. 

“I do, but you also know I can do it for myself, too. I can take care of myself.” Percy grabbed Annabeth’s hand and squeezed it. 

“Yeah, I know,” he turned back to Nico, “Next?”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Will ordered for me, and we just talked. I told him a bit about Mama and Bianca, and he was really sweet,” Nico hated the warm feeling that spread across his face right then. “He told me he’s there for me and I’m not alone. He’s really cute, Annabeth. I think I can really see this going somewhere.” Annabeth smiled at him sweetly and Percy knocked his shoulder into Nico’s. 

“That’s awesome, man. I’m happy for you.” Nico rolled his eyes again, but this time with a smile as Annabeth nodded in agreement with Percy. 

“Thanks, guys. I’m so glad you approve.” Nico said it with a slightly sarcastic tone, but it did mean a lot to him his friends liked Will, too. Nico loved his friends more than anything, and he trusted them to know who was a good fit for Nico. 

***

Family dinner was the worst in the di Angelo household. Most nights, Hades, Nico’s father, was away on business trips and Persephone was out to dinner with her friends or at some sort of charity event, but every once in a while a night happened where they were both home, and Nico felt like he was in hell. Ever since Biana left for college, Nico had been all alone at the way-too-big dinner table, trying to keep quiet as his parents discussed people who disgusted them or had wronged them in some stupid way.

“Do you remember the Joanes’, darling? I heard their eldest son, Joshua, came out as homosexual the other day to them. How disappointing.” Persephone took a sip of her wine as she looked across the table at Hades, who was nodding in agreement. Nico felt his blood start to boil. 

“Oh yes, what a shame. I suppose they won’t be getting any heirs anytime soon. What a disgrace.” Nico stabbed his steak rather forcefully, resulting in his father and stepmother glancing at him. 

“Is something wrong, dear?” Persephone asked in her sickeningly sweet voice. Even from his seat several chairs away, Nico could smell the overpowering scent of her rose perfume. 

“No, ma’am,” Nico mumbled. Persephone eyed him carefully for a moment before glancing back up to Hades. 

“As I was saying, it really is too bad. Theresa and Robert are going to have to go into hiding to keep away from the backlash of having a homosexual son. I can’t even imagine how they must feel.” Persephone visibly shuddered, and Hades nodded, though he looked like he wasn’t paying attention to the conversation. He was scrolling through emails on his tablet instead of listening to his family at all. “It’s bad enough to have children like ours. Having a stepdaughter who refuses to wear a dress and would rather be off camping like a homeless person is so embarrassing. Not to mention a stepson who dresses in all black and refuses to cut his hair.” Nico couldn’t bare one more second of this. 

“May I be excused, Father?” he asked through gritted teeth. Hades waved his hand in dismissal, and Nico stormed off into his room. He slammed the door before collapsing on his bed. He needed to talk to the one person who would understand. He picked up his phone. 

“Hello, piccolo.” Nico almost sobbed at the familiar nickname. “Is something wrong?” 

Nico took a calming breath to steady his voice. “Family dinner.” Nico heard a knowing sigh on the other end of the line. 

“Oh tesoro. Sono così dispiaciuto.” Nico laid flat on his bed and closed his eyes. “What did they say, Nico?” Nico took in a deep breath. 

“They talked about what a disgrace it is to have a gay son. Then they insulted you and me while I was sitting right there.” Nico could feel tears wetting his eyes, but he held them back. 

Bianca was silent for a moment. “I wish I could be there, piccolo. I love you so much, and so do your friends. Father and Persephone are the ones who are wrong. Every person deserves love, especially you.” Nico turned onto his side and curled up against a pillow. 

“I need to tell you something, Bianca. I met a boy.” Nico heard a loud gasp and he could help but give a small smile. 

“Oh, il mio fratellino is growing up! What’s he like?” Bianca asked, her voice going from quiet to excited. 

“His name is Will, and he’s so amazing. We went on our first date last night. He’s so sweet, Bianca. He’s tall and blond and gorgeous, but he’s also really shy and kind. I really like him.” Nico could almost hear the smile on Bianca’s face. 

“That’s amazing, piccolo. I’m so happy for you.” Nico smiled. He felt his phone buzz with a text, so he checked it. It was from Will. 

“I have to go, Bianca. He’s texting me. Ti amo.” 

“Ti amo anch’io. Buona notte.” Nico hung up and quickly opened the texts he’d gotten. 

{Will} Would you maybe like to come over tomorrow? My family is away, so we’ll have the house to ourselves

{Will} Not that we’d have to do anything about that

{Will} I’m not being suggestive

{Will} I just mean you don’t have to worry about my parents or siblings being there

Nico laughed to himself at the messages. 

{Nico} I’d love to. Pick me up at noon? 

It was mere seconds before he got a reply. 

{Will} I’ll do that. Goodnight, Nico  
{Nico} Goodnight, caro 

{Will} What’s caro?

Nico smiled at Will’s question as he typed the reply. 

{Nico} it means dear in italian. It’s a cute name to call someone you like 

{Will} You speak italian?

Nico smirked. He got up for a moment and changed into sweatpants and an old t-shirt before he typed his reply. 

{Nico} Sì mio caro. Ti parlerò in italiano ogni volta che vorrai

{Will} What does that mean?

{Nico} Look it up, Will. I’ll see you tomorrow

With that, Nico put his phone on silent and curled up in his bed. For the first time in a long time, he fell asleep with a smile on his face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 4 will be date number 2! Will and Nico are so cute. I put in a bit of Hades and Persephone to show the dynamic between Nico and his family. I also have Bianca in here to show she's alive and Nico's closest ally. I hope you guys enjoyed this! Comments and kudos are appreciated!
> 
>  
> 
> Translations: 
> 
> piccolo: little one
> 
> tesoro: treasure 
> 
> sono così dispiaciuto: I'm so sorry 
> 
> il mio fratellino: my little brother 
> 
> Ti amo: I love you 
> 
> Ti amo anch’io. Buona notte: I love you too. Goodnight 
> 
> Caro: dear
> 
> Sì mio caro. Ti parlerò in italiano ogni volta che vorrai: Yes my dear. I'll speak Italian to you any time you like


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a real short chapter. Sorry it's been so long! I was on vacation and just wanted some time away from the internet. I'm back now though, ready to go. I have a week before school starts of nothing to do, so hopefully I'll get some good inspiration. Enjoy this cute little filler chapter!

“So this is my humble abode,” Will announced as he swung open the door to his house. Nico walked in, looking around in awe. It was a pretty small house, but it was adorable. There were pictures of Will at all different ages with his parents. In front of the Empire State Building, Disneyland, national parks; all sorts of places. Nico picked up a picture of Will from what looked like kindergarten graduation. He had a large grin on his face and was missing his two front teeth. “It’s not much, compared to your house.” Nico looked over at Will and gave him a stern look. 

“It’s so much better than my house, Will. My house feels like a haunted mansion. Yours feels like a home. Where love and family lives.” Will walked over and wrapped his arms around Nico, much to the shorter boy’s surprise. Nico reached up to play with the short hairs on the side of Will’s face. 

“You’re welcome here anytime, Nico. Anytime your house doesn’t feel like home, you can come here. I’ll give you a home.” Nico smiled. He got up on his tiptoes and pressed his nose to Will’s.

“Thank you, caro. I’ll remember that.” Nico pressed a small kiss to the corner of Will’s mouth as the blond stared at him with wide eyes. They looked at each other before Will blushed and looked away, stepping back and running a band through his hair. 

“Um, so, there’s a bunch of movies by the tv . . .” Will trailed off. Nico grabbed Will’s hand. 

“You better show them to me.” After much deliberation, Nico finally agreed to watch Disney’s Hercules. Nico have a small huff of annoyance, but decided Will owed him for this. Once Will had settled on the couch, his back leaning against the armrest and his legs up on the cushions, Nico maneuvered himself so he was in between Will’s legs and laying down against Will’s chest. Will hesitated for a moment, but slowly wrapped his arms around Nico and hugged him tightly. “Let’s get this damn movie over with. At least the music is good, even if the mythology is all wrong.” 

Will laughed and scooted Nico even closer. “It’s a good movie despite the inaccuracies.” Nico shrugged. 

“Whatever.” About half way in, Nico had started shivering. “Goddamn Will, your house is freezing! You literally radiate at 1000 degrees and I’m still cold as hell,” Nico shuddered to prove his point. Will looked at him in concern before getting up and pausing the tv, much to Nico’s disapproval. 

“I’ll be right back.” Nico pouted as Will walked away. A minute later, Will came back with a bright orange sweatshirt. “Wear this.” Nico grabbed the sweatshirt, eyeing it warily. He finally decided he was too cold and stood up to put it on. 

It was way too big. The sleeves went several inches past his hands, and the bottom almost reached his knees. “I look ridiculous,” Nico groaned. Will grabbed Nico’s waist lightly and kissed his temple. Nico looked up with a scowl on his face. “Why are you so tall?” Will laughed louder. 

“Sorry? I can find you an older one-“

“No. I’m keeping it.” Nico crossed his arms defiantly and sat back on the couch. Will ram his eyes over Nico’s body, making Nico raise his eyebrow. 

“You look hot in my clothes. I like it.” Will gasped at his own words. “Shit, did I say that out loud?” Nico smirked and stood up. 

“Possessive are we?” Will blushed as Nico wrapped his arms around the blond’s neck. 

“Um, I guess so? Just, something about you wearing my clothes - it uh, kinda turns me on?” Nico raised his eyebrows and pulled Will closer. 

“Yeah? You like the idea of me wearing your clothes? Letting everyone know I belong to you?” Will visibly gulped, but he nodded. Nico tried to find any hesitation in Will’s face, but the older boy didn’t make any move to get away. Nico stood up higher so his face was centimeters from Will’s. “Kiss me, Solace.” Will’s eyes widened and he choked on his breath. 

“Sorry, uh . . .” Will continued to blush as Nico felt his own cheeks heating up. 

“Do you not want to?” Nico asked with a quiet voice. Will quickly shook his head and grabbed Nico’s face. Nico’s hands rose to lay over Will’s as he looked up into his blue eyes. 

“No, I do, I do. Sorry, I just got caught off guard.” Nico felt desperate. He’d never been kissed before, and he was so scared Will didn’t want to. Why would he, anyway? Nico would never be as good of a boyfriend as Will deserved.

“It’s okay, Will. You don’t have to. I’ll just go.” Nico pulled away and turned towards the door, but felt a hand grab his wrist, firmly turning him around to where Will was looking at him worriedly. 

“No. Don’t go anywhere. I want you to stay here, and I want to kiss you.” Nico stepped a little closer and crossed his arms over his chest. He tried to stay stoic, but when he felt large hands grip his hips he grabbed Will’s arms as the taller boy leaned in and pressed their lips together. 

Nico was in heaven. He pulled Will closer and dug his fingers into Will’s biceps. The kiss was soft and sweet, and Will pulled away before anything intense happened. “See?” Nico laughed softly and stood on his toes to kiss Will one more time before stepping away. 

“Let’s finish the movie, Solace.” Will smiled and pulled Nico onto the couch, the smaller boy cuddling into Will’s side as the tv started playing Hercules again. 

 

***

“He kissed me, Annie, and I really, really liked it.” Nico said. He was FaceTiming Annabeth, who was currently smiling widely on his phone screen. 

“That’s so sweet! I’m so happy for you.” Suddenly the phone was ripped out of Annabeth’s hand and Nico watched as Percy’s face came into focus on the screen. 

“Was it romantic? Was it like a full-blown make-out or just a peck? Give me the juicy details di Angelo!” Nico rolled his eyes. Annabeth came into the picture as well, her face pressed against Percy’s.

“It was small. No open mouths. Just sweet. He kissed me, and then I kissed him, and then we just cuddled. I was wearing his sweatshirt cause I was cold, and he got all hot and possessive about me wearing it.” Percy fake gagged and Annabeth raised an eyebrow. 

“Gross. No offence, get it on or whatever, but I don’t want to hear about my friends getting turned on.” Annabeth punched Percy’s shoulder, but Nico just chuckled. 

“I’ll remember that. Anyway, I should probably head to bed.” The three said their goodnights, and then Nico hung up the phone, plugging it into the wall and sighing. He got under the covers of his bed, staring up at the ceiling. 

He’d never felt so lucky in his life. Sure, his parents didn’t know he was gay and would probably disown him if he did, but he was dating the most amazing guy he had ever met. He used to have feelings for Percy, but know he knew that boy was so not his type, and Percy was an amazing friend he was so thankful for. Will was a great person, and Nico thought he was sweet, caring, and beautiful. 

Nico didn’t like to admit it, but Will brought some sunshine into his dark and miserable life. Being the son of a wealthy businessman was hard, as it took away so many freedoms Nico wished he had to live life as an open and happy person. He didn’t like to say he wished he wasn’t rich. He knew so many people needed the money his father had. But having it came with hardships, too. Being the only son in the di Angelo family, he was the heir to the family fortune, which meant keeping up appearances. Marrying some rich, pretty girl his father liked and producing children of his own. Keeping quiet about his personal life. Never making a wrong choice. He didn’t want that. He knew it was impossible, but he hoped beyond measure he could someday run away with Will Solace. It would make life so much easier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Make sure to leave nice comments and kudos :-)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: homophobic slurs 
> 
> Yes I am aware Will is a healer not a musician in cannon but this is an au and I wanted this to happen okay okay thanks 
> 
> Also I know I write Nico a little happier than he is in cannon. That's because Bianca's death is what really scarred him in the books, and in this story she's still alive. He still gets sad sometimes, but I have a hard time writing depressed characters as I've never experienced that before (obviously I've been through sad times but I don't have depression so I'm not going to pretend to understand how it works and trigger someone), and I don't want to write something that isn't true to the condition, so while Nico does have a hard life and has to deal with it sometimes, his overall personality isn't so angry at the world because he's grown up with good friends and now he has Will.

It had become a habit to go to Will’s house after school for Nico. He never wanted to go home, so he would go to Will’s house while Percy was at swim practice and Annabeth was busy with whatever building she was designing. Will’s parents were always busy, so the house had been empty every time. 

Nico was a little worried about that. It had been almost two weeks since their first date, and Nico hadn’t met Will’s parents. Though, Will hadn’t met Nico’s either, so maybe he was being a bit hypocritical. Nico had a reason for hiding his parents away though. Will was out and proud to his parents, so why was Nico only coming over when they were gone?

“White or black shirt?” Nico was brought out of his thoughts abruptly by Will’s question. He turned to look at where Will was standing by his closet, holding up both a white and a black button down shirt. 

“What do you need those for?” Nico asked. Will looked at him quizzically. 

“My orchestra concert tonight. I have to go in a couple hours!” Nico suddenly remembered Will telling him about the concert earlier. 

“Oh yes, yes, right, um, white. I like you in brighter colors.” Will smirked and hung the black shirt back up. Nico’s eyes widened as Will threw the white shirt onto the bed Nico was sitting on and started unbuttoning the blue shirt he was already wearing. “What do you think you’re doing?” he demanded. Will smiled at him cheekily. 

“Getting ready.” Nico huffed and tried his best to avert his eyes as Will finished undoing his shirt. Nico tried, he really did, but he couldn’t help staring at Will’s bare chest and stomach. 

“You can’t do that in front of me! Stop it!” Will laughed as Nico threw a pillow at him. Will caught it and tossed it aside. “What happened to you being shy? I think I liked that Will better than this one.” Will had taken his shirt completely off now, and had walked over to the side of the bed Nico was sitting on. He pulled Nico up so he was standing right in front of Will. 

“Aren’t you happy I’m getting more comfortable around you?” Nico looked up to Will’s face as the taller boy pressed his hands into the small of Nico’s back. Will’s face was full of suggestiveness and humor. Nico knew he was just trying to get a rise out of him. 

“Of course I am! But that doesn’t mean I like you teasing me.” Will started leaning down and Nico had meant to press his hands against Will’s chest to push him away, but he got distracted by the warm feeling of the bare skin underneath his fingers. He suddenly didn’t care about anything in the world as he stood up on his toes and kissed Will softly. 

Will was stunned for a moment, but he quickly came back and pushed Nico’s body against his, moving his lips to make the kiss deeper. Nico gasped, opening his mouth to let Will deepen the kiss even more. His hands slid up Will’s bare torso to rest on his neck and bring him impossibly closer. The two boys only broke apart when Will stepped forward, causing Nico to fall onto the bed behind him and drag Will down with him. 

Both boys stared at each other for a minute, catching their breath. Nico reached up and rested his hand on Will’s face, causing the older boy to blush. “Sorry,” he said softly. “I didn’t mean for it to go that far.” Nico just smiled and kissed Will’s nose. 

“There’s the Will I know.” Will’s blush deepened and Nico pushed him up. The smaller boy stood and straightened himself out, then picked up Will’s white dress shirt and threw it at him. “Put this on, Solace. I’m gonna go to the bathroom, and I’d recommend having put your slacks on by the time I get back.” Will turned beet red as Nico smirked and left the room. 

 

***

 

Will was doing amazing. Nico had never been to one of his school’s orchestra concerts, and he really regretted it. Will was first violin, so he was seated on the edge of the stage where Nico could see him really well. He played with such intense focus that he seemed to be tuning out the entire world. He wasn’t even looking at his music-he’d only flipped the pages when he’d had a break long enough to put his instrument down. His eyes were closed most of the time, and his whole body moved with the movements of his bow arm. It was a beautiful sight to see. 

Nico was actually sad when it was over. He’d never been one for classical music, but he could watch Will play like that for the rest of his existence. When the concert ended, Nico watched as the orchestra players all started packing their instruments away. He sat patiently in his seat, waiting for Will to finish talking with his fellow violin players before he spoke to him. 

After what felt like hours, Will finally turned to where Nico was sitting. Will was still on the stage, but Nico could see the shy smile the blond gave him. Nico gave a small smile in return. He watched as Will hopped of the stage and strode over to him, hands behind his back. 

“What’d you think?” he asked, coming to a stop as Nico stood from his seat. He grabbed the sides of Will’s shirt.

“It was alright. I don’t really like classical, though.” Will’s jaw dropped open in mock offense. 

“How dare you! The best musicians in history were classical players! It takes a lot of skill to make it in the classical industry, you know.” Nico shrugged nonchalantly, but he couldn’t help the smile that was creeping onto his face. 

“Whatever you say, caro.” Will blushed at the pet name and grabbed Nico’s chin with his thumb and forefinger to lift his face up and plant a small kiss on his lips.

“Get a room, faggots!” Nico and Will were startled out of their moment by the outburst. Both boys turned, their eyes falling upon a boy neither of them knew who was staring at them with disgust. Nico figured he must go to a different school. 

“I’m sorry, do you have a problem?” Nico asked as politely as he could. Will looked at Nico worriedly, but Nico just ignored him and took a step in front of Will and closer to the boy. 

The stranger sneered and crossed his arms. He was tall, taller than Will, with sandy blond hair and muscled arms. Probably a football player. Nico knew that boy could kill him in a fistfight, but it wasn’t going to come to that. Nico saw someone back out of the theater and towards the orchestra teacher’s office from the corner of his eye. 

“Yeah, I do, fag. I don’t like seeing weirdos like you being all indecent in my presence.” Nico tried to move forward, but Will’s hand on his arm stopped him. 

“What, did your daddy tell you it’s a sin to kiss a boy? That must’ve been very hard for you to take when you started wanting to. You know, I’ve always read the most homophobic people are just trying to hide their own feelings. Would you rather me be kissing you? I don’t think my boyfriend would like that very much.” Nico smirked as the boy’s eyes widened and he sputtered. 

“What, uh, what the fuck are you talking about? I’m straight! I’m totally straight!” Nico just stared in amazement. He put his arm around Will’s waist and leaned into his chest. 

“You can’t hide your feelings forever. Their bound to come out eventually.” As the stranger continued to gawk at him, the conductor came in. One of the other orchestra members filled him in on what happened, and the stranger was quickly being pulled out of the theater. “Hold on a second!” Nico called. The conductor stopped walking. 

“Mr. di Angelo, I am so sorry for what this boy said. We do not allow bullying here.” Nico nodded politely at the teacher. 

“I just want to say one thing.” The conductor nodded and Nico turned to the boy. “I don’t care if you’re gay or straight. No one cares, and no one should care. Whoever you are is up to you, and whoever I am is up to me. I’m just trying to love whomever I want. There’s nothing wrong with that. If I am attracted to boys, that is no one’s business besides mine and the boy I am with, got it?” The stranger nodded, looking ashamed. He was then pulled out of the room. 

Nico walked up to Will with a smirk on his face as Will just stared at him in awe. “That was amazing.” Nico laughed and got on his toes to kiss Will’s cheek. 

“I want to make sure he knows that being gay is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s a very, very good thing.” Will smiled as Nico pressed a kiss to his mouth. 

“Oh, one more thing.” Nico pulled away to look at Will’s face. “I’m your boyfriend now?” Nico rolled his eyes. 

“Obviously, you idiot. You’re my boyfriend, and I’m yours.” This time, both boys were smiling as they kissed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that bit towards the end didn't like offend someone or anything. I'm not using being gay as an insult (that would be very hypocritical considering I am of the homo variety) it was just a way for Nico to catch the bully off guard since he was obviously not confident in his heterosexuality and deserved to be called out for being a bigot. That is all. It's often true that bullies only are mean out of their own insecurities, so Nico took that and shoved it in the dude's face saying "I'm gay and that's what you're mean to me for, so maybe you're insecure about your sexuality".


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed I set an amount of chapters. This story will have 10 parts. I don't have the other 4 written yet, but I know what'll happen in them. Don't expect anything too dramatic, traumatic, or insane; this is just a cute story with a bit of angst thrown in to make it more interesting. It's short and adorable for the most part. \
> 
> This chapter is super short, but it's some nice bonding between Nico and his friends. Hope you enjoy!

Nico took a sip of the strongest coffee he could order. He sighed in content, letting the warmth of the drink run through him. He was at his favorite coffee shop, Caffeina, which made the strongest coffee in town. Nico really, really liked strong coffee. 

Annabeth and Percy sat across from him, Annabeth taking small sips of her Earl Grey tea, and Percy, like the child he is, gulping down a giant cup of hot chocolate. It was a wonder the boy didn’t burn his tongue off. 

“So, Nico, catch us up on everything. How’s life with William?” Annabeth asked. Nico took another drink of his coffee before setting it down on the table. Annabeth was sitting with her legs crossed, looking at Nico intently. She was obviously ready to study every answer Nico gave to analyze it and make sure Will was being good to him. It was a bit annoying, but Nico still appreciated the place of love she was doing it from. 

“It’s really good. When I’m with him, at least. He’s really good to me.” Annabeth sat forward in her seat, setting her cup down and narrowing her eyes at Nico. Percy looked between her and Nico with a worried look. 

“What exactly does that mean? ‘At least’?” Nico sighed. He stared down at his coffee, wishing he could take a scalding bath in it rather than talk about this. 

“It’s my parents. They’re so grossly homophobic, I’m afraid to let Will in my house. I don’t want my father or stepmother to freak out on him or something. He’d get so uncomfortable, he’d never want to see me again. I can’t bear that.” Annabeth and Percy looked at him with a mix of understanding and concern. 

“I know your parents suck, but they’re a part of your life. You can’t hide them from Will forever, dude,” Percy said carefully. Nico looked up into his eyes. Why couldn’t he be the perfect straight guy like him? Captain of the swim team, dating a beautiful girl, someone who would make his parents proud. Or, at least, not completely ashamed. 

“I know, it’s just hard. Will is so important to me, and my family is just going to fuck it all up.” Usually Annabeth would scold him for cursing, but today she seemed to be letting it slide. “And it’s not even just that. Soon the only people I’m gonna have are my parents. Bianca will still be in college, and you guys and Will are all gonna leave too! Will’s going premed-he’s not gonna have any time for me with his studies.” Nico sunk deeper into his seat, suddenly feeling really depressed. In a matter of months there’ll be no one around anymore. He’ll be completely alone. 

“Don’t talk like that! I’m only going to be a couple hours away, Percy is literally just going to community college in town; you can still see him all the time, he’ll just be at a different school-”

 

“It’s still college though! He’ll be studying!” Percy scoffed and looked at Nico with his eyebrow raised. 

“As if I’ll skip hanging out with my best friend to study algebra.” Annabeth elbowed Percy in the chest, making him shut up. 

“You will study, but you’ll have time for Nico too, right?” Percy rubbed his chest and grimaced. 

“Yes, I will. We’ll still talk to you all the time, Neeks. We promise.” Nico took a gulp of his now lukewarm coffee. 

“While I appreciate all that, none of it changes things with Will. It won’t even make a difference his college is less than an hour away - he’ll be studying constantly. Premed is fucking hard.” Annabeth reached over and grabbed Nico’s hand, forcing the boy to look up at her. 

“If you and Will are meant to be, it won’t matter the distance or how much he has to study - he’ll find time for you. You’ll both learn how to balance your lives together and your lives apart, and if you are still together when school and everything is over, you’ll be ready to be together as adults. It’ll all be worth it when he’s your rich doctor boyfriend and you live in a big house with tons of kids running around.” Annabeth winked at Nico, who frowned. 

“Who said anything about marriage and kids? We’ve been dating for barely a month.” Annabeth smirked and Percy just smiled. 

“I have a feeling things are going to work out for you two. Everything will be alright in the end.” Nico downed the rest of his coffee. 

“I hope you’re right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this chapter! It means a lot to me when I get sweet comments and kudos! It really helps motivate me to write. Also, tell me if you have any ideas for future stories!


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